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Should I Have an Item 19 in my FDD?

When I get asked this question, I respond as follows: “The FDD has 23 Items. If there were just one Item in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) you could look in deciding whether or not to buy a…

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Full Guide to California Franchise Exemptions

Nobody wants to wait in line…especially when you’ve worked hard and paid a lot of money just to get to the entrance. Disneyland first introduced the FastPass in 1999. This pass lets them skip the…

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Confidential Information Clause & NDA : All You Need to Know

Confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements (NDA’s) come in different forms and sizes, from stand-alone NDA’s to just a couple of sentences in a long commercial contract. Unfortunately, at times…

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How to Find Franchise Disclosure Documents Online for Free

There are four states that publish FDDs online. California https://docqnet.dfpi.ca.gov/search/ California’s search engine is slow to update, but every document associated with a franchise…

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How to Sell Franchises in Each State

I’ve just issued my FDD and want to start selling franchises with it. What are the next steps? This depends on where you’d like to sell franchises. Registration states require you to file your FDD…

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What is a Trademark Disclaimer?

A disclaimer is a statement that indicates that the applicant does not have the exclusive right to use a specific word of a trademark by itself. Disclaimers are required for composite trademarks…

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Required Financials for Your FDD

1. What financials are required for a franchisor operating in the United States? The Federal Trade Commission requires audited financials for the franchisor for the last three fiscal years before…

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Trademark State Registration

I don’t distribute my goods out of state. Can I still trademark my names? The short answer is YES! The Lanham Act (also known as the Trademark Act of 1946) is the federal statute that governs…

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Clothing Trademarks

Ornamental Refusal? Wait… what? Is your apparel graphic a “brand identifier” or just decoration? An ornamental refusal is when the USPTO refuses registration of your trademark because the specimen…

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